“Unprecedented” IPCC Meeting

The IPCC held a meeting (in Bali, not Irkutsk) that is “unprecedented” in a milllll-yun years:

Participants in the unprecedented meeting – held at the annual assembly of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Governing Council in Bali – were sworn to secrecy over the decision and it is only expected to be announced after its detaled scope and composition have been worked out by UNEP and the World Meteorological Organisation, the two UN agencies that oversee the IPCC’s work.

I’m collecting the data on all the AR4 errors here in an effort to provide an informative alternative to the Wikipedia “Criticism of the IPCC AR4” article. I have only just started listing the errors and gathering source material, but it’s already abundantly clear there are problems with more than just “a few sentences”.

Their main concern has been over the aggressive way in which Dr Pachauri has responded to criticism, beginning with denouncing Indian research suggesting that the glaciers were not melting so rapidly as “voodoo science”.

What about conflict of interest with his financial interests weighing on his decisions?

Hey at least they are investigating. Should be amazed by that. And not “amazed” in the sense of the Penn State “investigation” but amazed that something might come out of this.

They are having this meeting in Bali. I think it will take weeks to sort this all out. Lets hope they call hundreds of witnesses and invite them to come Bali to testify. Perhaps a few skeptics could at least get a good tan for all the efforts they’ve put into their voluntary oversight of this organization.

Dr. Pachauri responds to criticism in the same way that many in the climate science community respond by using ad hominem arguments. The “ministers” are using the tried and true method of dealing with errors. They attempt to dismiss errors by claiming that they are inconsequential; [blockquote]point out that they just concern a few sentences in a 3000 page report[/blockquote]

The UNEP is failing to grasp the impact of the CRU emails, since the revelations do impact the science which supports the IPCC’s reports.

It’s not surprising that the ministers refused to allow Pachauri to carry out the “independent review” of the IPCC. Perhaps, they and others at UNEP and WMO (the two UN agencies that, at least the Telegraph.co.uk believes, “oversee the IPCC’s work”) have been reading the papers.

published an interview exchange with Pachauri earlier this month on the issue of conflict of interest, part of which reportedly was:
“The Economist: That seems odd compared to the standards of scientific publication, or the standards of the United Nations Environmental Programme and the World Meteorological Organisation, which both have conflict of interest rules. Isn’t it rather remarkable that you should have this organisation [IPCC] that does not have any procedure for dealing with conflict of interest, regardless of whether there is conflict of interest.
Dr Pachauri: Well, those are UN organisations and they are bound by UN rules, and you know that the IPCC is not a UN organisation, it is an intergovernmental organisation and in that sense we are distinctly different from UNEP and WMO or any of those organisations.
The Economist: And it’s your position that distinct difference means that there is no need for any official procedure within the IPCC for dealing with conflict of interest?
Dr Pachauri: I think if the governments who govern the IPCC determine that there should be something of this nature I’m sure that will be put in place.
The Economist: And would you welcome that?
Dr Pachauri: Of course, absolutely. I would have no hesitation. In fact, I would suggest it myself if I got the opportunity.
The Economist: Well you’ve had the opportunity, surely, sir?”

Odd comments by Pachauri since the IPCC website alone has UNEP and WMO logos on all pages, including at the top of IPCC’s organizational structure. Perhaps, UNEP and WMO want more of a role than absentee manager.

The participants add that he admitted only one mistake, a discredited prediction that the glaciers of the Himalayas would entirely melt away by 2035, for which the IPCC has already apologised.

Not exactly. The IPCC statement in fact merely admitted that an unspecified statement in WGII was not backed up by a proper primary source, and does not admit that the statement in question was wrong. There is no indication on the page referenced in the footnote of the statement that any part of it should be regarded as retracted.

A second-hand or even third-hand source could correctly convey information in an ultimate primary source, but not citing the primary source would be an error of IPCC procedure. This is the extent of the error that Pachauri has admitted.

The implications of this case are that criminal concealment of scientific research data in the UK is currently nonpunishable by the government, something which no Independent Review will solve. You need a new bill to punish nondisclosure. This bill could be special to scientific data, and so would, I imagine, be within your remit.

This man has an assured future, as a first level Telecoms call centre operator in a big Indian city. His ability to think on his feet is matched only by the neural network complexity with which he has to cope.

Nice photo, Geoff. Reminds me of an Indian friend a few years ago who told me when Indians want power they just run a wire out to the street pole. If the power company complains they just cut its cables.

This is fast becoming a remake of the Star Wars series – Climate Gate and it’s repercussions could be likened to the first destruction of the Death Star, the present “unprecedented” meetings and etc to the “The Empire Strikes Back”, (though I’m not sure to whom the appellation “Darth Vader” be directed at), but when the Jedi return has yet to play out; I suspect we are still in the “Empire Strikes back” phase, if it has struck back at all, and assume its next option is to use non-diplomatic methods that failed at wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen.

And another conference in Bali to boot – but this time it’s deliberations are secret – seems the Empire has decided to continue as if nothing happened, hoping that by adopting this tactic the rebels will assume the battle was lost.